Applying for an HMO licence in Southwark?
First-time HMO landlord, or up for renewal? Southwark's Additional scheme AND Selective Scheme 1 both expire on 28 February 2027. Selective Scheme 2 (added Nov 2023) covers 14 more wards until 2028. The council intervened in 2,922 cases under the previous additional scheme alone. We'll inspect your property, tell you exactly what needs fixing, and (if you'd like) submit the licence application for you. Inspections from £199, licence applications from £295. No jargon, no surprises.
Not sure if your Southwark property needs a licence? Most rented properties in Southwark do.Southwark has three concurrent schemes: Mandatory (since 2006), Additional (borough-wide), and two Selective schemes covering 19 wards in total. If you're renting in any of those 19 wards or running a small HMO anywhere in the borough, you almost certainly need a licence. Fines up to £40,000 and tenants can claim back up to 24 months' rent.
Which Southwark Licence Applies to You?
Southwark has three HMO licensing schemes running at the same time — Mandatory, Additional and two Selective schemes covering 19 wards. Which one applies depends on how many people live in the property and where it sits. The table below explains each in plain English. Not sure where you fit? Send us the address and number of occupants on WhatsApp — we'll tell you in 5 minutes.
Mandatory
Required where 5 or more people from 2+ households share. Mandatory scheme operating in Southwark since the Housing Act 2004 took effect.
£1,575 + £105 per bedroom over 5Additional
Required for any HMO of 3+ people from 2+ households. Includes Section 257 (3+ storeys, 3+ flats, same ownership). Section 257 licences are FREE — no fee charged.
£1,365.10 (S257 free)Selective
Required for single-family or two-sharer lets in 19 wards across two schemes. Use the council's postcode checker to verify which scheme applies.
£945 (Gold Standard Charter discount available)Southwark offers two distinctive incentives for accredited landlords. The Gold Standard Charter gives a 50% discount on Part B of the selective licence fee. If you're also enrolled in the council's Finders' Fee Scheme, the entire Part B fee is waived. Section 257 HMO licences carry no fee at all — Southwark is unique among London boroughs we cover in waiving this charge. Confirm the current published fee structure with the council before applying.
Longest Track Record in South London.
Southwark has been operating mandatory HMO licensing since 2006, additional licensing since 2017, and now two selective schemes. Around a third of housing in the borough is now in the private rented sector, with around 8,497 PRS properties having at least one serious hazard such as fire risk or damp. The council has been clear that it sees licensing as a long-term enforcement infrastructure — not a one-off intervention.
Selective Scheme 2 (live 1 Nov 2023, expires 31 Oct 2028): North Walworth · Nunhead & Queens Road · Old Kent Road · Peckham · Camberwell Green · Chaucer · Dulwich Hill · Dulwich Wood · London Bridge & West Bermondsey · Peckham Rye · Rotherhithe · Rye Lane · South Bermondsey · Surrey Docks
Use the council's postcode checker to confirm which scheme applies to your property.
How We De-Risk Your Application.
With three concurrent schemes, two of them coming up for renewal in February 2027, and the council's longest enforcement track record in south London, Southwark has one of the higher practical risk profiles for unlicensed operation. The cost of a pre-application inspection is small compared to a refusal under conditions you weren't aware applied.
On-site inspection by an EHO. Full report against Southwark's licence conditions and the council's published amenity and room size standards. You get a prioritised action list, not a generic checklist.
Get a quoteWe complete and submit your Mandatory, Additional or Selective licence application via Southwark's online portal. Includes plan annotation, document collation and direct liaison with the council's licensing team.
Get a quoteCommon Southwark HMO Setups.
Southwark's housing stock spans Georgian terraces in Bermondsey and Borough, dense Victorian conversion stock in Peckham and Camberwell, large 1930s semis in Dulwich, post-war estates around Walworth and Old Kent Road, and an emerging build-to-rent corridor along the Thames. The licence conditions are uniform but typical findings vary heavily by area.
Peckham & CamberwellSE15 · SE5 · Selective Scheme 2
Dense Victorian and Edwardian terraces with significant conversion-to-HMO activity over the last decade. Both Peckham wards in selective Scheme 2 since November 2023. Common findings: bedrooms below the 6.51m² minimum, kitchen amenities undersized for occupancy, EICRs that haven't kept pace with extension works, and Section 257 conversion paperwork from the 1980s-90s no longer reflecting current Building Regulations.
Bermondsey & RotherhitheSE1 · SE16 · Selective Scheme 2
Mix of Georgian terraces, Victorian docks-era stock, and significant new build-to-rent. London Bridge & West Bermondsey, South Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Surrey Docks all in Scheme 2 since November 2023. Common issues: fire compartmentation in older converted blocks, missing interlinked alarms, and licence applications that don't reflect actual current room layouts in older terraces.
Walworth & Old Kent RoadSE17 · SE15 · Selective Scheme 2
Mostly post-war estates and 1960s-70s housing converted to HMOs over the last 20 years. North Walworth and Old Kent Road in Scheme 2. Typical issues: severe overcrowding, damp and mould management gaps (now actionable under Awaab's Law from May 2026), and Section 257 status questions for older converted blocks.
Dulwich & Forest HillSE21 · SE22 · Mixed selective coverage
Mix of Victorian villas and inter-war semis, often three storeys, converted to professional HMOs of 5+. Dulwich Hill and Dulwich Wood in Scheme 2 since November 2023. Conservation-area constraints around Dulwich Village affect external alterations. Typical issues: heritage constraints on fire door upgrades, single-staircase escape routes, and converted upper-floor flats above retail.
Borough & London BridgeSE1 · Conservation areas
Georgian terraces and Victorian conversion stock in central locations, including conservation areas around Borough Market. London Bridge & West Bermondsey ward in selective Scheme 2. Issues are frequently around heritage constraints, listed-building consent for fire safety upgrades, and Section 257 status for older mixed-ownership blocks above shops.
Questions Southwark Landlords Are Asking.
When does Southwark's additional HMO licensing scheme expire?
Southwark's borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme came into force on 1 March 2022 and expires on 28 February 2027. The first selective licensing scheme (covering Newington, Champion Hill, Faraday, St Giles and Goose Green) expires the same day. Check with the council whether a replacement scheme has been announced. Operating an unlicensed HMO between expiry and reapplication is the same offence as never licensing in the first place.
How much does an HMO licence cost in Southwark?
Southwark Council charges £1,575 for a mandatory HMO licence plus an extra £105 per bedroom above five. Additional HMO licences are £1,365.10 per property. Selective licence applications are £945 per property. There is a fee discount for landlords who sign up to the council's Gold Standard Charter — Charter members get a 50% discount on Part B. If you're also part of the council's Finders' Fee Scheme, the Part B fee is waived entirely. Section 257 HMO licences carry NO charge — the only London borough we know of with this approach.
Which Southwark wards are covered by selective licensing?
Nineteen wards across two schemes. Scheme 1 (live 1 March 2022, expires 28 February 2027) covers Newington, Champion Hill, Faraday, St Giles and Goose Green — around 6,000 properties. Scheme 2 (live 1 November 2023, expires 31 October 2028) covers North Walworth, Nunhead & Queens Road, Old Kent Road, Peckham, Camberwell Green, Chaucer, Dulwich Hill, Dulwich Wood, London Bridge & West Bermondsey, Peckham Rye, Rotherhithe, Rye Lane, South Bermondsey and Surrey Docks. Use the council's postcode checker to verify which scheme applies to your property.
Are Section 257 HMOs covered by Southwark's additional scheme?
Yes — but with restrictions and an unusual benefit. Section 257 HMOs in Southwark are covered by additional licensing where: the building is 3 or more storeys, contains 3 or more self-contained flats, and both the building and all flats within it are under the same ownership or effective control. There is NO charge for Section 257 HMO licences — Southwark is unique among London boroughs we cover in waiving the fee. However, you may still need separate licences for the individual flats within the building if those flats independently meet HMO criteria.
What's the penalty for operating an unlicensed HMO in Southwark?
Civil penalties up to £40,000 per offence apply, criminal prosecution carries an unlimited fine, and Rent Repayment Orders can reclaim up to 12 months' rent under existing rules — extending to 24 months under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Section 21 notices cannot be served on tenants of an unlicensed property. Southwark Council intervened in 2,922 cases under the previous additional licensing scheme. The council's mandatory HMO licensing scheme has been operating since 2006, giving them one of the longest enforcement track records in London.
Do you work with letting agents managing Southwark HMOs?
Yes — we work with letting agents and managing agents handling HMO portfolios. If you'd value an independent third-party compliance check rather than relying on your team's own walkthrough, get in touch about volume arrangements.